Dillon's annual air, water show returns Saturday

The Highest Show on Earth makes an early return to Lake Dillon this Saturday, June 7, in celebration of National Marina Day. Among the participants are Gary Rower, in the WWII-era PT-17, and partner Buck Roetman, in the Pitts S-2S, both pictured here.

Gary Rower and his PT-17, left, and Buck Roetman in his Pitts S-2S will return Saturday, June 7, to the Highest Show on Earth at Lake Dillon. Pilots participating in the air and water show also are hosting from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, June 6, an open house and static display of their aircraft at Mc Elroy Airfield in Kremmling.

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“The Highest Show on Earth,” the air show over Lake Dillon, is making an early return on Saturday, June 7, in celebration of National Marina Day.

This year’s show, featuring air and water elements, as well as a concert, is sponsored by the town of Dillon, Hudson Auto Source and the Dillon Business Association. The show begins at 10 a.m. with a parade of boats. The flying begins at 10:30.

The water portion of the show includes on-water demonstrations of new boats by Crowley Marine of Denver. Other boats also will be on display in Marina Park.

The air show will kick off with a return of the Yaks, a two-ship formation team of Russian training aircraft. The Yaks will share airspace with a U.S. T-6 Texan trainer.

Next up are two high-speed, “wake your neighbors” craft: the Korean War-era T-28 and the WWII-era P-51. The T-28, with 1,200 horsepower and short exhaust pipes, sounds a bit like a growling machine gun. The P-51 is powered by a Rolls Royce Merlin engine with 1,500 horsepower and a sound unrivaled by anything else in the sky.

Closing out the show will be the team of Rower Airshows and Wild Horse Aviation, which includes Summit County resident Gary Rower and his formation partner, Buck Roetman. The pair will showcase a mixture of solo, formation and dogfight-style performances in a WWII-era Stearman PT-17 and a Pitts S-2S in the skies over the lake.

The best viewing will be from the shoreline at the Dillon Amphitheater and from Marina Park.

The flying should finish around noon, but more attractions are planned for the rest of the day, including new car and truck displays by Hudson Auto Source at Marina Park. Stand-up paddleboarding demonstrations also are planned, as is an appearance by representatives of the League for Animals and People of the Summit. John Truscelli and the Forgotten Band will close out the event when they take the stage at the amphitheater at 2 p.m.

Although the main event takes place Saturday, the pilots will host an open house and static display of the aircraft from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, June 6, at Mc Elroy Airfield in Kremmling.